By Staci DaSilva
sdasilva@kcautv.com
At the Genesis Can Redemption Center in Storm Lake, IA, folks go through about 35,000 cans a day. And because they make only one penny off each can, too much business is costing them a lot of money.
In Iowa, when you redeem a can or bottle, you can make a nickel. "It's very convenient to do everything at once and I don't have to take a few here, a few there to the grocery store," said customer Kerri Wenck.
But the redemption center you go to, makes only one penny.
Genesis Development Operations Manager Anita Schable said, "Over the last couple years, a lot of the local redemption centers have started to close down because it's really hard to make the penny, that we get to do the work, stretch."
So, the more cans, the more work and in turn, the more workers needed. And this equation has put Genesis Development $9,000 in the red last fiscal quarter.
So, now it wants legislature to make some changes. "Ideally, it would be to double it, instead of giving us a penny, it would be two pennies to do the work," said Schable.
And this company is more than just a business. The Redemption Center gives folks with developmental disabilities an opportunity to learn what it really takes to maintain a job.
"It's an easy job for me. Cans and putting them down the chute," said Aaron Meister, an employee.
Taking in these large quantities of cans and bottles is not something they have to do, so starting Monday, folks here will start charging 10% of each sale to large retailers who want to reserve bins.
